Electric contacting element



Patented Jan. 6, 194 2 NITED' STATES PATENT FFICEQ EEao'rmc CONTACTING- ELEMENT Franz R. Hensel, Indianapolis, Ind., assignor to P. R. Mallory & 00., Inc., Indianapolis, Ind., a

corporation of Delaware Original application April 15, 1940,

No Drawing.

Serial No. 329,829. Divided and this application April 1, 1941, Serial No. 386,306

2 Claims.

This invention relates to electric contacting elements of the type comprising welding electrodes, contactor contacts and the like. The present application is a division of my co-pending' application Serial No. 329,829, filed April 15,-

An object of the invention is to improve electric contacting elements such as pressure exerting welding electrodes for resistance Welding, electric contactor contactsand the like.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connec-' tion with the appended claims.

The present invention comprises the combination of elements, methods of .manufacture, and the product thereof brought out and exemplified in the disclosure hereinafter set forth, the scope of the invention being indicated inthe appended claims.

While a preferred embodiment of'the invention is described herein it is contemplated that considerable variation may be made in the methd of procedure and the combination of elements without departing from the spirit of the inven-- tion.

The present invention. contemplates electric contacting elements formed of copper alloys containing tellurium and age-hardening ingredients therein. I have found that tellurium imparts to copper and copper alloys a number of desirable properties, particularly low contact resistance and reduced tendency to stick or weld to surfaces with'which electric contact is made. I have also found that tellurium can be added to copper in substantial quantities without greatly reducing its electric conductivity.

the silicides, phosphides and beryllides of these materials. In these alloys tellurium may be present in amounts from .05 to 3%.

The age hardening alloy thus formed may be hardened by a suitable heat treatment such as by quenching from a temperature between 600 degrees C. and 1000 degrees C. and subsequently aging at a temperature between 250 degrees C.

I and 600 degrees C. for a period of from one-half hour to several hours. The aging not only inv creases the hardness and the annealing temperature but also raises the electrical conductivity and strength. Hence these age-hardened alloys .I introduce the tellurium together with age- I are particularly well suited for pressure exerting resistance welding electrodes.

One of the outstanding advantages of using tellurium with copper and copper alloys resides in the fact that the tellurium, reduces the electrical conductivity of the copper or copper base alloys only very slightly. This is probably due largely to the fact that tellurium does not form. solid solutions with copper. In fact, it is possible to detect as little as .025% tellurium microscopically as a free phase. This free phase is not pure tellurium, but is an intermetallic com pound of copper and tellurium having the formula CuaTe;

While the present invention, as to its objects and advantages, has been described herein as carried out in. specific embodiments thereof, it

- is not desired to be limited thereby but it is intended to cover the invention broadly within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is: Y 1. An electric contacting element containing .05 to 3% tellurium, .1-to 10% of an intermetallic compound selected from the group consisting of the phosphides, beryllides, silicides and alumnides of chromium, zirconium, beryllium, titanium, nickel, cobalt, iron and manganeseand the balance substantially all copper.

2. An electric contacting element containing .05 to 3% tellurium, .1 to 10% of an intermetallic compound selected from the group consisting of the silicides, phosphides and beryllides of nickel, cobalt, on and manganese and the balance substantially all copper.

-- FRANZ R. HENSEL, 

